Downtown Detroit Restaurants

Restaurants

(alphabetical by location)

Avalon International BreadsLocated in the Cass Corridor, Avalon offers artisan baked goods made with 100% organic flour, and local ingredients whenever possible. Avalon’s practices are environmentally friendly, and it supports community engagement and support.

Cass CaféFeels like home (maybe your aunt’s home?). The food is very good, with a nice variety of healthy and not so healthy choices including some vegetarian dishes. The drinks are great. Average dinner bill with food, drink, and a tip is $20-$22. The bar is situated in the middle of the restaurant, and feels cozy. The artwork is cool and local so be sure to check it out. They have a room upstairs if your group is large. Street parking is available. If you prefer an attended lot, park in the Park & Lock lot just N. of Cass Café at Shangri La for $3.

Go! Sy Thai Go! Sy Thai focuses on producing delicious, made-to-order Thai food in minutes, using fresh ingredients & preparing fresh daily. Everything you find on our menu is a top seller. We also have gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan options available upon request.

Honest John’s Bar & GrillBest bar/diner ever. The food is delicious, ample, and inexpensive. Bacon is a must here. It may look closed from the outside, but there is parking in the back. Your average breakfast/lunch bill with coffee or soda and tip is $10-$12. Breakfast on Sunday at 10ish is packed, and you may wait in line for a seat so get there before church gets out.

HopCat - Detroit HopCat Detroit opened on December 13, 2014 (yes, that was 12/13/14!) in a historic building at the corner of Woodward and Canfield. We offer Michigan's largest tap selection -- 130 craft beer taps -- and some pretty excellent food made from scratch in our kitchen. Our second floor features the Huma Room, an entertainment venue with a full bar and 30 beer selections which is available for corporate rentals, parties and other special events.

Jolly Pumpkin - Detroit Located by the Willys store on West Canfield in Midtown, the 5,000-square-foot tasting room, brewery and restaurant will feature 32 taps of North Peak beers and oak-aged Jolly Pumpkin sour ales — both of which are produced in Dexter by master brewer Ron Jeffries' Northern United Brewing Co.

Majestic CaféThe Majestic Café is adjacent to the Majestic Theatre and Garden Bowl on Woodward in Midtown. The Majestic has a new chef and menu with lots of good choices, and an outside deck upstairs. This venue is also good for large groups, and the staff is very accommodating. You can park in the lot in the back for free during the day or for a small fee on the weekend at night.

Motor City Brewing WorksHome of hand-crafted superior quality beer and brick oven pizzas, MCBW is located on West Canfield in midtown. The atmosphere is hip and causal, and average bills including beer, pizza and tip are about $20.

Selden Standard Nothing brings us more joy than a great meal with friends. Sharing that experience is at the heart of why we opened Selden Standard. And central to that experience is Chef Andy Hollyday’s food – flavors born in local farms, captured at the peak of the season, prepared in our wood-fired oven, and served small plates-style in perfectly shareable portions.

Shangri-LaShangri-La has great Dim Sum, Sushi, and an abundant regular menu with tons of selections. They also have a full bar that is very colorful. The staff are extra attentive. Dinner with a drink and appetizer (Dim Sum, or Sushi) averages $20-$25. Lunch can be considerably less, especially if you are not drinking. Shangri-La has a Park & Lock lot for $3, but also has metered street parking out front. This place is great for a dinner with friends you haven’t seen in a while, or when you have a little extra time to enjoy all that Shangri-La has to offer.

Slows to GoThis is the to-go version of delicious Slows Bar B Q (below) with the exception of a few items that are not meant to travel easily. The food is delicious, so STG is often very, very busy. You can call ahead and your food will be waiting for you when you arrive. STG also caters by the pound, or by the pan, and you can pick up or they will deliver in the local area.

Mercury Burger BarMBB has delicious burgers with a twist, Michigan craft beer, malts and shakes in a casual atmosphere. It’s open for breakfast, and late at night for after-show dining, and averages $15 for beer and a burger.

Slows Bar B QSlows is another place with exceptional craft beer. The food is tasty as well, as it is all made from scratch on site and smoked up to 12 hours. There is at least one vegetarian entrée, and several tasty small plate vegetarian sides, so you can bring a non-meat eater. It can be very, very busy, so getting there just before peak hours is a great idea. They have recently added more room, and have an outside patio as well. Slows is a few minutes away, but is worth the trip. Park for $3 in the secure lot behind the Mercury Burger Bar, and the surplus fees are donated to Roosevelt Park.

Detroit Beer Co.Detroit Beer Co. offers very delicious craft beers, and the food is very good. My favorite time of year to eat at Detroit Beer Co. is in the spring, summer, or fall when you can sit outside and look at the beautiful architecture downtown. DBC is located directly across from the Opera House, right next to Small Plates, and very close to Vincente’s Cuban Cuisine on Library Street. If you are in a bar/restaurant hopping mood, DBC is a good place to start. Metered street parking and a parking structure are available. An average dinner tab with appetizer, dinner, and beer is $20-$25.

Hard Rock Café Detroit American Restaurant in Downtown Detroit. Our roots are in Southern cooking and everything is made from scratch in house every day using only the finest ingredients.

Punch Bowl Social Detroit Punch Bowl Social is a dining and entertainment mecca, that takes a three prong approach to the cultural movement in social outings. Archetypal by design, our scratch kitchen and locally sourced, organic ingredients of the GastroDiner menu are meant to satisfy the both common and elevated palette. The Punch Bowl Social craft approach to the beverage program provides a re-introduction to the classics, forward thinking in the creation of new trends, local beers & spirits, classic punches, and a redefinition to the direction of mixology, where you can still get great service. Old school games take you back to times of simple enjoyment in activity, and provide the environment for group gathering; or being social.

Small PlatesSmall Plates offers a unique experience, where small plates of delicious foods are meant to be shared. SP has a full bar complete with craft cocktails, and you will likely want to stay a while. Dining outside is the best if the weather is nice. The average tab varies depending on the number of small plates you are trying, but will be moderately expensive.

Vincente’s Cuban CuisineVencente’s offers delicious Cuban food for lunch, and delicious food and dancing for dinner. Dinner is an event, so if you are looking for something fun to do on a date, you won’t be disappointed. The sangria is exceptional, as well as the mojitos and tapas. Located downtown on Library Street, Vincente’s is near beautiful architecture, the Library Street Collective art gallery, small plates, and Detroit Beer Co. The average dinner tab is a bit pricier than other area restaurants, but worth it if you have time to hang out.

Woodbridge Pub A little tricky to get to (maybe it’s just me), but worth the effort! It’s a completely restored building; nice and bright with plenty of windows and natural lighting, and looks beautiful in an area of Detroit that could use some TLC. Foodies will love the fresh menu with small plates, soups, salads and sandwiches, and many of the selections are vegetarian. Your lunch will average $15-$17 with starter, sandwich/salad, and coffee/soda.